Her scream ripped Daniel into wakefulness, the adrenaline pumping through his veins. "Deep breaths, My Angel." His hand reached out to his wife, who had bolted into a sitting position, gently but firmly caressing her back.

"I'm alive, My Angel." He grasped her hand placing it firmly against his chest. "Feel my heartbeat, hear my voice." From the corner of his eye he saw Jack and Sam appear in the shadows of the connecting entrance of the bathroom, dressed in hastily pulled on underwear, their nine mils at the ready. He chanced lifting his other hand still at Annika's back, indicating to the couple to hold back. He caught the general's nod and they relaxed their stance though they didn't move away.

The heavy oak door of the bedroom's main entrance suddenly burst open and Teal'c was there with his gun poised, Keelah peeking over his shoulder and three of the King's Guards barely a step behind.

"Stand down." Jack kept his voice low and non-threatening. Even in the darkness he could see that Casper wasn't fully in the waking world yet and he didn't want her freaking out even more. Even with her hocus pocus weakened as it was, with the adrenaline flowing she could react on reflex and knock any one of them on their asses, or worse.

Grateful for Jack's intervention, Daniel kept his eyes on his wife, speaking soothing words, sending as much calm as he could through their bond. Her gaze was still unfocused, though she was blinking rapidly. His arm snaked around her waist and he pressed his leg against hers. Making as much physical contact as he could without constricting her movements had helped her in the past.

"I...I can't focus," she whispered hoarsely. She was slowly becoming aware of where she was, but the fear gripping her wouldn't leave. "All I see is the dream."

"Focus on me, just on me," he said quietly. "You're safe, I'm safe. All of us are safe and alive."

Gradually her violets depths cleared, and all she saw was the concerned face of her husband. Drew in a shaky breath and slightly shifted her hand pressed against his chest. "May I?"

Daniel knew what she was asking for and nodded. "Of course."

Everyone saw how much her hand trembled when she lifted her palm to Daniel's forehead.

Daniel's fingers closed over hers, steadying her hand when he pressed it to his brow, waiting for the transfer. Didn't know whether to be worried or relieved when no images flashed behind his eyes.

"Shit, I hate this!" Annika tugged her hand free as it became apparent that it had just been another nightmare. Gave her anxiously hovering teammates a small smile. "False alarm."

Jack and Sam had also approached once they were sure Annika was fully aware of their presence.

"General, everything alright up there?" Ferretti’s voice sounding tinny, came from the direction of the discarded clothes on the chair in the corner of the room.

Jack hunted for the radio buried beneath. "Everything’s fine, Lou. Casper just had a bad dream." He didn’t try to hide his grin from the others when Janet answered.

"You’re sure?"

"You can come up and check if ya’ want," Jack replied with an angelic tone that totally contradicted the pure mischief alighting his face.

"In case you’ve forgotten," Ferretti sounded exasperated, "there’s a little matter of a jammed door."

"Oh, that. It’s been fixed," Jack drawled. "We woulda’ told you but you two were looking so cozy we didn’t have the heart to disturb you."

For a long moment there was only silence. All of SG-1 was eagerly watching the radio, waiting for the penny to drop for the couple and their response.

"You set us up." Janet’s disbelief echoed through with a hint of accusing betrayal.

Jack had to wait a few seconds for the chuckles of his team to stop so that he wouldn’t totally crack up himself. "I’m a General in the United States Air Force, would I do something like that?"

"You totally blindsided us!" Ferretti clicked his tongue in disgust that he and Janet had fallen for one of the oldest tricks in the book. He felt Janet’s shoulders shake with laughter and his arm curled tighter around her. Would never admit that he had let himself be tricked.

"I’ll take that as a thank you. And you’re welcome. Sweet dreams you two." He clicked off the radio with a wide grin.

Chuckles renewed, dying off when they remembered the reason for this late night gathering.

"Does this happen often, Casper?" Though Jack directed the question to the redhead, his eyes darted to Daniel.

"A couple of times a week," Annika admitted.

"Since we killed Anubis." Daniel didn't contradict her. It wasn't technically creative counting. While the nightmares had started to decrease in number their intensity seemed to be increasing.

"You're dreaming of that dish-mop?"

The redhead shook her head, her gaze dipping to the sheet.

Daniel could feel by the slight squeeze of her hand that she wanted to share the dreams with them but was embarrassed for having them. His eyes rested on Jack, Sam and Teal'c. "With how many times the four of us have literally been killed it's not surprising that we have become rather blasé about it. But it was a first for Annika."

With the archaeologist's quiet words recognition dawned for the others. Annika had become such an integral part of their team and knew so much of their previous missions from her visions, they tended to forget she had only been a part of the SGC for seven months and hadn't experienced all that they had. She was going through what they had all had to deal with in the early years.

Annika misinterpreted their silence and haltingly tried to explain. "It doesn't matter that my...our...deaths were temporary or that we 'volunteered' to die to use that weapon...I know that it could happen any time we step through the 'gate. Hell, we could die simply crossing the road back home..."

"But it is different when it actually happens," Teal'c finished for her when her voice tapered off.

Annika's head shot up. It was like Teal'c had read her mind. Looking at the faces of her teammates she saw that they didn't think less of her, as she feared they would, rather there was only complete understanding.

Daniel's other arm tightened around her shoulders. "You're not alone in this."

"How did you deal with it?" she asked, desperate for a way to stop the horror images from tormenting her.

"I searched for answers in every myth and legend of resurrection and afterlife I could find," Daniel dredged up the memory. "Took me months as I recall. By the time I sifted through every culture, ancient and modern, I'd almost forgotten what I was actually looking for. But seeing so many different, unrelated societies were also struggling to explain why some miraculously survive, that they were just as clueless as I was, made me stop wondering and just embrace the second chance I'd been given." He gave a wry grin. "And the third and fourth, fifth and sixth."

While Sam became distracted by the 'sixth' death, and silently started counting off on her fingers the times Daniel had died, Jack had gotten 'stuck' on the 'ancient and modern' culture reference. "The Abydonians had a secret library you forgot to tell us about?"

Blue eyes blinked at him in confusion. "No."

"So how did you do this research? You were stuck on Abydos after Ra."

"Oh, that wasn't the first time I'd technically died," he shrugged. "I was on a dig in Peru and was bitten by a coral snake. I had an allergic reaction to the anti-venom."

The comment was met with stunned disbelief.

"Damn, Danny, snakes of every variety have it out for ya'," Jack muttered. It was one thing to face death on a mission, but to learn that Daniel had escaped 'permanent' death years before he came sneezing into the Mountain, that he wouldn't have been around to decipher the Stargate, that Jack wouldn't have been given the privilege to meet the man he now considered his best friend, it sent an icy shiver down his back.

"Meditation assisted me," Teal'c brought the conversation back on topic.

"I found keeping a journal helped," Sam admitted. "At first it was just random words, writing whatever came to mind, but it helped me to put some order to my thoughts, things I couldn't verbally express."

"I like that idea," Annika mused. She had tried meditation and while it had helped to calm her, the dreams had kept coming back. The journal had more promise. "Let me guess, Jack, you fished."

"Well you'd be wrong, Little Miss Know-It-All," the general teased.

Annika wasn't the only one surprised. Usually Jack's answer to everything was to go fishing.

"So what was it?" Daniel asked curiously.

"It may be hard to believe but I over thunk the damned thing." He ran a hand through his hair, the only indication of how difficult he found it to speak of it. "Started having very freaky thoughts of why I'd been brought back, why me and not, say Kawalski, or the other men who died around me over the years."

Teal'c tilted his head in question. "And what conclusion did you reach, O'Neill?"

The others became thoughtful. They had known for years that Jack volunteered every couple of months at the school since he had taken Mirrin there to learn to have fun. They had assumed he had been doing it as a link to Charlie, since that was where he had attended, but now that they thought about it, Jack's trips there coincided with their more intense missions.

"Thank you. I'm okay, now." Annika gave her friends a slightly embarrassed smile. "I'll try not to cry wolf again."

"Hey, cry wolf, bear or bunny," Jack grinned. "We'll be there to help you smite whatever demon's picking on you."

Brother and sister walked in companionable silence to Keelah's room. Though his upbringing would have seen Corfy escort her to the door, the need to spend some time with his sister had him walking inside with her. The day had been so hectic that they hadn't had a chance to spend any quality time together and both craved it.

"I always wanted this room." A smile from the childhood memory graced Keelah's lips when she sat down cross-legged on the bed. The twins had shared the nursery suite and their 'transition' to their own rooms was to have happened when they reached the age of puberty. Her abduction had occurred a few days shy of their thirteenth birthday, so she had never actually occupied it.

"I know," Corfy gave a playful eye roll. "I remember the arguments we had over it." The second room, which was adjacent, had been exactly the same, but for reasons neither twin could recall now, they had both vied for this one. "Ma'mam always held out hope you would return and I kept the suite prepared after she passed," he said softly.

Keelah felt her eyes sting again with unshed tears. It had become such a common occurrence today that she hardly noticed. "I didn't dare let myself have that hope. It's only since joining the Tau'ri that I allowed myself that luxury."

Corfy frowned when he noticed the bed showed evidence of dual occupancy. Hoped that he was wrong. "You're a restless sleeper?"

She nodded though perplexed by the question, until she saw what her brother had seen but was trying to deny. "I told the maid that a fourth suite was not necessary. Teal'c shares my bed."

The old fashioned sense of propriety that he had been raised with reared its head. "It is inappropriate for you to reside with a man not your husband."

Keelah gave a bitter laugh. "Inappropriate is being raped by the man who bought me and by his friends." She ignored the wince her brother gave. "Teal'c has shown me nothing but kindness and gentleness. I treasure the time I spend with him."

"But it isn't right."

"Deal with it, Corfy. Teal'c sleeps with me, in my bed, for as long as he desires it." She softened her tone. "I'm not going to get into a debate with you over propriety. You are my twin and I love you, but we have led very different lives and now have different values."

Reluctantly he nodded, conceding her point, and besides which he didn't want to argue with her. His eyes locked on hers. He could still hardly believe that she was here. They had so much to catch up on, yet now that they had this moment of privacy, he finally voiced what he had been sensing for the better part of the day and had been studiously ignoring. "You're not going to remain here, are you?"

Keelah shook her head. "I have only gained my freedom..."

"Regained," Corfy corrected.

She gave another headshake. "No, Corfy. Gilded though it is..." She broke off, not wanting to hurt him, however she needed to be honest, no matter how guilty she felt for turning away from the duty of her birth. Tried again. "I did not escape one Master to have the Crown become another. Not for you, Corfy, not for anyone." She hurried on, trying to take the sting out of her words, "I love you and it’s wonderful to have Xa’bella and Kara’neenya added to my...our...family. I love the place of our birth, the land, the people...but I've spent my entire life in servitude. Ten years as a slave, thirteen as the royal heir. We had a happy childhood, don't get me wrong...and if I had been returned directly from the slave dock to here I probably would have been happy...not as the Queen, but as part of the Court. But I wasn't brought here. Instead I was welcomed by a group of people who cherish freedom above all else, who fight everyday to uphold that freedom. For the first time in my life I was given a real choice. And I don't want to give that up. Please, tell me you understand."

For the longest moment Corfy was silent, then he gave his sister's hand a squeeze. "I do understand." His life had been one of privilege, but it was dictated by protocol, it always had been. He knew how fortunate he was that he had been able to build a happy life within the parameters of being Royalty. And yet even to this day, he sometimes wistfully wondered what it would be like to be a private citizen, to not have the burden of responsibility of a nation on his shoulders. The wistfulness touched his eyes as he realized that his sister, despite the hardship of enslavement, had been able to experience what he could not, and he would not let her feel any guilt over it. "But you'll visit, won't you?"

"Just try and stop me." Her returning hand squeeze was just as tight. "And I expect you to come visit too...whenever you want to take off the Crown for a while."

"Deal." His eyes once again drifted to Teal’c’s side of the bed. All of the Tau’ri had praised the man's virtues and it was clear they believed him to be in love with his sister. However he sensed an undercurrent between the couple he didn’t understand. And he’d yet to hear Keelah voice her feelings for the warrior. "Do you love him?"

Keelah stared at her brother, the swirl of emotion that flooded her making her incapable of speech. She realized that no one had actually asked her that before. Due to the acting required for their agreement, those at the SGC had simply assumed the two of them were in love. But, her mind silently asked, had it really all been just an act? Now that the question had been posed, the emotion she had been unable to identify, because she had never experienced it before, danced to the forefront of her mind. The emotion that had started as the barest puff of breath against her heart when she had first laid eyes on Teal'c, and had steadily grown with each passing day, with every kiss, every touch, word and look, demanded to be let out.

"Kara, do you love him?" Corfy repeated, when she didn't answer.

"Yes." With that single word, her heart sang with joy.

"Does he love you?"

"Our relationship is...complicated," she admitted. "But right now I’m happy to take whatever he can give me."

Though he had reservations about her answer, he could see how much her love for Teal'c shone through. It was enough for now. They chatted for a few more minutes, until Keelah tried to stifle a yawn. "I should let you get some rest. Tomorrow," he grimaced when his gaze flicked to the timepiece on the bedside table, "today will be another busy day." He paused. "There are going to be a lot of questions, particularly for you...would you be willing to join us in the throne room after breakfast?"

She nodded, touched that he had asked rather than just expected she would attend to the duty. "I'll make myself available to the people for as long as I am here," she promised, leaning in to give him a hug.

Corfy returned the embrace tightly then left.

Keelah was just snuggling under the covers once again when Teal'c returned. "Annika's okay?"

He nodded. "Battling personal demons is a slow process, but I have faith she will overcome them." Stripping once more, he climbed in beside her. As she nestled into him, he sensed there was something different about her that he couldn't quite identify. "Are you alright?"

Keelah nodded into his chest, her reply more than a little drowsy. "Couldn't be better."

There was no chance for him to question her more for in a few seconds she was sound asleep.

After the others had left, Annika and Daniel settled back down to go back to sleep. Reassured by his wife that she was okay, especially when he gently caressed their bond to doubly confirm it, Daniel had been able to nod off pretty quickly. However, Annika remained annoyingly awake, trying to figure out a way to stop any future embarrassing 'banshee' moments. She had never tried to control her dreams before and she wasn't entirely sure if it was even possible. She only knew she had to try. At the very least she had to control her reaction to the nightmares. So far she'd only had them in 'safe' places, namely at home and now here. Screaming out in the dead of night was not an option on a mission. If they were trying to remain undetected it would be as good as lighting a beacon to their location, and even on a friendly planet it wouldn't be a ringing endorsement of Earth if she woke the whole village up screaming in fear.

The fact that she was having that kind of reaction puzzled and worried her. As a general rule, aside from a few mumbles, which Daniel insisted he found cute, she didn't make noise while she slept. And 'death' dreams were nothing new to her. Usually they were premonitions which she had done her damnedest to prevent from coming true, but she'd never had such a violent reaction to them. She couldn't figure out why she'd suddenly now become so embarrassingly 'vocal'. Perhaps, she thought, it was as simple as them being visions with a purpose and not nightmares conjured up by her mind. Thinking about the previous dreams before the 'screamers' started, she wondered if she'd subconsciously pulled herself out of the vision-dreams before they got to the stage where emotion overwhelmed her, and if it were possible for her to apply the same principle to her nightmares. Determined to give it a try, she snuggled deeper into Daniel's embrace. Wrapped in the security of his arms, she gradually nodded off to sleep.

An hour later her mind began flickering with images. Deep in her subconscious she recognized them as a repeat of her earlier nightmare. She struggled to banish the scene. The same panic and fear began to take a hold of her, however her worry of jeopardizing future missions was stronger. She woke up with her heart pounding and gritting her teeth so hard her jaw hurt. But to her immense relief there was no sound echoing in her ears other than her slightly haggard breathing and Daniel's quiet snores. She didn't question how she was able to control herself on her very first attempt. She was just grateful that she had done it. Sent up a silent prayer that she would be able to continue to do it for any future nightmares.

Filled with a sense of accomplishment she tried for the third time that night to go back to sleep. To her exasperation, the adrenaline rush caused by the dream had left her too keyed up to even close her eyes. She began a meditation in her head, only to find that Daniel's snores, as comforting as she usually found them and as accustomed she was to hearing them, proved to be a distraction. In the darkness her gaze landed on the bath chamber doorway. A bath usually helped her to unwind.

Careful not to wake her husband, Annika slid from the bed, fished her bottle of vanilla oil from her BDUs and padded to the spacious bathroom. After closing both the adjoining door to Jack and Sam's room and the one to her and Daniel's, she flicked on the light. Adjusted the dimmer so that there was just enough of a glow for her see, turned on the taps and sprinkled a generous amount of the oil into the tub. It filled quickly and within a few minutes she was lowering herself into the hot water. Resting her head against the rim, which very nicely had a strip of cushioning for just that purpose around the entire edge, she breathed in the sweet smelling steam. Felt the tension begin to seep from her body. She pushed up lightly with her feet, letting her body float freely and started the mediation over.

She wasn't sure how long she wallowed in the soothing water, though it was long enough that she had restored her inner calm, when she sensed someone watching her. The tingle that drifted to the spot beneath her heart told her who it was. She cracked one eye open. "Enjoying the view?"

"Do you mind?" Daniel asked amusedly, though there was a touch of hesitance. He was referring to the intrusion, not the voyeurism.

Annika gave him a lazy smile, her other eye opening to fully appreciate the delectable sight of her naked husband. Playgirl could keep their male models, she was lucky enough to be married to one of the hottest men on Earth...in the galaxy even. "Only if all you're going to do is look." She flexed her back up so that her partly submerged body floated to the top.

Daniel wasn't about to pass up that invitation. When he'd woken to find himself alone in the bed he'd immediately tested their bond for the general direction of where she'd gone. While a sense of calm drifted back to him he'd been concerned, especially given the intensity of the nightmare she'd had. Seeing her floating in the bath, that was long enough to easily accommodate another stretched out body, he'd realized she'd been meditating. The only question that remained was had she been trying to shake the residue of the earlier nightmare, or had she had another? Despite that troubling thought, his body had reacted to the beautiful sight of his naked wife and from her seductive smile he knew she had felt his arousal through their bond. He also knew that if he wanted to talk he'd have to be quick, for he could feel her own desire spiraling back to him. He slid into the water, noting that it was still quite warm, an indication that she hadn't been there long. "Did you have another dream?"

"Almost." She used her hands beneath the water to paddle closer to him.

"Almost?" He sat on the conveniently placed submerged ledge that rimmed the bath, his hands guiding her to him.

"I managed to wake myself up before it got...bad." Annika let him 'steer' her so her head rested on his shoulder. His hands came to rest on the sides of her waist and the platonic hold told her he wanted to talk first.

"That's good." He was pleased that she was starting to find some sort of control and yet... "But stopping them isn't exactly dealing with them." Though his mind told him that it wasn't a good idea if he wanted to continue a coherent conversation, his fingers refused to listen. They brushed back and forth over her skin, caressing her hips and waist.

"I know, but at least I won't wake up the whole neighborhood." She could hear his concern for her in his tone, feel it in the way her held her. How lucky she was to have him in her life. His support and love for her were the only things that stopped her from totally breaking down into a gibbering mess when 'life' overwhelmed her. "I like Sam's idea of keeping a journal." Her hands sank down, skimming Daniel's thighs, mimicking the sensual caresses he was giving her.

"What's the point in both of us having disturbed sleep?"

"Please, just humor me."

"How about I'll tell you if the dream changes?" she compromised.

He reluctantly nodded. So far each of the death dreams had been different and there was no reason to think that would change. And he had just agreed to let her deal with it in her own way.

"Thank you." She pressed a kiss to his jaw. She knew how hard it had been for him to agree to that. It was in his nature to want to be there through every step and obstacle she fought, but this would be a personal journey that she had to primarily take by herself.

"Uh huh." She glided her backside against his thighs. "But suddenly there's a new tension that no amount of meditation can ease." That kiss had also released the dam of her arousal. The burst of his lust that shot through their bond only enhanced hers. Any thoughts of further discussion of the nightmares were unceremoniously shelved for later.

"Maybe I can assist?" he offered, feeling his groin respond to the floating caress.

"Thought you'd never ask." A blissful sigh escaped as his hands skimmed up her waist to cup her breasts. She arched into his touch. Fissions of fire shot through her when he rubbed his index finger over her nipples and lightly grazed his nails over the tops. "Gods, that feels good," she said a little breathlessly, kissing her way to his ear and sucking gently on his lobe.

Daniel couldn't agree more. He loved how her body responded to his every caress, feeling her nipples pucker between his fingers, the jolt of her desire that travel through their bond and hit him under his solar plexus, the soft little moans and sighs that greeted his ears. His senses absorbed every delightful response and it had the ripple effect of fueling his own desire. He had no doubt that if he allowed himself he could cum just from watching her, for in his mind there was no bigger aphrodisiac than his wife embracing the fire of love's lust. However, Annika hadn't yet let him prove that little theory. She was as turned on by his response to her touch as he was to hers. Decided that he would give it the old college try now. Not that he would consider it a loss if he failed...his wife's ministrations on him were too damned erotic to be considered a 'consolation prize'. He wondered for the umpteenth time how he became so lucky.

Annika's fingers twitched to repay the foreplay being bestowed upon her. She started to turn to face him.

"Nuh uh." Though his hands kept up their sensual teasing of her breasts, his arms tensed, not letting her move. "I'm testing a theory."

"Gonna share what it is?" Her breath hitched when he tweaked at her nipple. It was just as well that she wasn't standing, for that never failed to make her knees turn to jell-o. Actually there were many things her husband did that made her go weak at the knees. He knew every part of her body in intimate detail and knew where a tweak, or feather light caress, or a stroke of his tongue would send a burst of desire coursing through her and have her begging for more. He didn't even have to touch her. A simple look from those gorgeous blue eyes, a smile, even a single whispered word, set her heart to pounding.

"Nope." He suckled the base of her neck. If he told her his plan he'd never stand a chance! The trick, he figured, is to act quickly. Not a 'wham bam thank you ma'am', but overload her senses, drive her to distraction, so that she couldn't think straight. Keeping one hand focused on the tantalizing exploration of her breast, his other slid between her legs, cupping her womanly mound, and he languidly slid a finger between her hot folds.

Gods, the man is skilled with his hands! He made love the same way he worked, with passion and intensity that was all consuming. And she didn't need to look at his face to know that there was an indulgent smile tugging his lips, which grew wider at the involuntary mew that escaped her throat at his intimate caress. She'd never known a man who took such obvious joy in making love. She'd been with men who'd treated foreplay as a necessary chore, simply as a means to ensure that she returned the favor and had gotten pissy if she'd used the same mediocre technique on them. With Daniel he was aroused by performing every little kiss, caress and suck, in witnessing her being driven closer and closer to the brink of orgasm. She knew that by the darkening of his eyes, the burst of pleasure that traveled through their bond and more obviously by the rapidly hardening member brushing against her back.

Stroking her, feeling her slick juices mix in the water, pooled the fire coursing through his veins. Unused to the weightlessness the water provided, the slight pressure of his hand pushed Annika's hips back. A gasp blew from his lips when the base of his shaft nestled between the cheeks of her fanny, the tip twitching between the small of her back and his belly. His little 'experiment' flew right out of his mind with his next breath.

Annika went with the moment; flexed her muscles around his hard length and pressed back into him and he moaned into her neck. "You like that, huh?"

"Oh, yeah," he breathed, feeling himself become even harder as she continued the sensual massage.

"And this?" She pushed up slightly with her feet so that she glided up the full length of him then squeezed lightly as she moved back down. His ragged sigh told her that he did. She paused on her next ascent, a cheeky grin on her lips. "No reply? Guess that means you want me to stop."

Because his face was tilted into her neck she didn't see the wicked gleam that shone in his eyes. His hand, which had momentarily stilled, slid deeper between her legs, his finger slipping into her hot well. The buoyancy of the water and his applied pressure worked together, pushing her upwards, right along his pining member.

"That was sneaky," she gasped, a jolt running through her when he brushed against her g-spot.

"Win-win situation." He playfully nipped at her shoulder.

They continued the erotic shimmy, their desire growing with every slide, until one particular squeeze from Annika threatened to send him right over the edge.

Annika hid a grin, guessing precisely why he suddenly needed to put a bit of distance between them, had felt him trying to tamper down the need building inside him. She dropped her foot to the submerged ledge for leverage and pushed her hips up so that she floated to the top of the water. "That better?" she asked huskily, seeing his eyes darken at the sight of her exposed womanhood.

"Yep." His fingers parted her folds, his index slowly circling, coaxing the pearl of her pleasure into revealing itself. But when he touched that tiny nub, Annika's knee quivered, involuntarily going weak at the tingle that raced through her and she sank back under the water. "Nope," he playfully retracted.

"Sorry," she grinned. "Can't help it if you make me weak at the knees."

"Hmmm, much," she agreed, spreading her legs wide, resting her toes on the submerged ledge on both sides. The bath was very accommodating. In the back of her mind she wondered if Keelah's ancestors had this particular 'pastime' in mind when they designed such a lavish bathroom. Having both her hands free, and thanks to the way Daniel was floating, it gave her easy access to his freely swaying member. As his tongue made its first dance around her aching well, her hand closed around his shaft. The oil in the water proved to be a perfect lubricant to glide up and down the length of him.

Dual moans echoed off the walls as they relished the pleasure being given and taken.

Is there anything as sweet as my wife's nectar? he wondered, eagerly nuzzling her. Smiled when the water splashed a little from her legs jerking as he swirled over that elusive little nub. Massaging the mounds nestled in his palms he gently sucked and was rewarded with a guttural mew. Oh, yeah, that little sound was what I was waiting for! He quickened his pace and the quiver of her thighs increased.

The build up of desire was flowing through her, controlled by the tantalizing actions of Daniel's tongue. When he teasingly slowed, she tightened her hand fractionally and quickened her even pumps around his member.

"Dirty trick," he chuckled against her. She knew damned well that he wouldn't let himself go without her, that her delightful actions would 'force' him to stop teasing.

"I know..." The mischievous reply turned into a cry of bliss as his hold around her butt tightened a bit and he firmed up his tongue, running tight little circles around her nub. That wonderful tingle became more powerful. "Oh gods, yes!" She bit her lip in an effort to keep her cry from being too loud. Her body tensed as she tried to delay the wonderful explosion of love, for this was when she most felt truly alive. Those few moments just before orgasm was when their bond was the most open, their love for each other the most pure.

When her hand drifted off his member, Daniel increased his efforts, for it was the sign that her mind was too caught up in the tornado of her body's reaction to concentrate on anything else. He lived for this moment. To see her writhe and buck into his touch, to hear the quickening of her breath and the soft little mews that would quickly turn into a wonderful song of rapture, to feel all her love for him bombard him beneath his heart, there wasn't a more magical experience. He battled to hold his own climax at bay for just a little longer as her orgasm consumed her, for his pining member was craving the sanctuary of her womanly well. He was barely able to wait for her ecstatic cry to begin to taper off before his arms slipped over the top of her thighs, snaked up to her back to lift her forward, kneeling to gain some leverage.

Still riding the crest of her orgasm, Annika wrapped her legs around Daniel's waist and he lowered her onto his rock hard shaft. His lips hungrily closed over hers, his tongue plunging into her mouth.

A groan of complete joy rumble from his chest at feeling her inner muscles quiver with the onset of aftershocks around him. "That feels so...wonderfully...good."

"It always does," Annika sighed, loving the feel of him inside her. When the involuntary twitching of her inner muscles started to wane she purposefully flexed them again, knowing how much he enjoyed the sensation. Was rewarded with his hips bucking, burying him deeper.

Daniel felt his control slipping. Unable to stop the urge he gave a guttural moan and began to thrust in and out. Having been almost to the point of no return with Annika's orgasm, it wasn't long before his own climax started to converge, especially with Annika grinding her hips against him, meeting him thrust for thrust. With his continued kiss, he gave a final thrust and his groan of rapture rumbled into her mouth as his seed exploded into her.

He managed to grip the side of the tub with one hand, for his legs threatened to give way, and twisted to sit. Then holding Annika, who was still wrapped around him, he tried to catch his breath.

Snuggled happily in his embrace, she waited until his heart rate returned to normal before asking, "So did your theory pan out?"

It took a moment for his brain to remember his experiment. "Um, no...unforeseen interference from the environment rendered the test subject incapable of following the test protocols."

Annika blinked at him blankly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"In layman's terms," he placed a light kiss to her lips, "your delightful derrière wiggling so erotically against me shot the plan to hell."

"Well, maybe you can try your theory out again tomorrow night," she suggested.

"I'll hold you to that."

Before she could question the mischievous challenge in his tone there was a rap on the door and Jack's voice drifted through.

"Are you two about done? I gotta' pee."

"So much for romantic afterglow," Annika giggled, climbing off Daniel's lap and out of the tub.

"Just give us a second!" Daniel hit the button by the taps to release the water. Caught the towel Annika tossed his way.

The couple hastily dried off. Giving Jack the all clear, they disappeared to their room to catch whatever sleep they could in what was left of the receding night.